The present invention relates to a container of the type used to store fruit juice and the like, and in particular to a hand-held pitcher having integral self-stirring means to enable the contents of the pitcher to be stirred without the use of an auxillary stirring implement.
It is well known to hold and store consumable liquids in containers such as a pitcher. Such liquid beverages include, but are not limited to, orange juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice, tomato juice and various other type of fruits and vegetable juices made directly from the fruit or vegetable product itself, or from concentrate or powder. When such consumable liquids are stored for long periods of time, for example in a refrigerator overnight, the bulk portion of the liquid tends to settle and collect in the bottom of the pitcher. This requires the pitcher to be stirred using a large spoon stirrer or other auxillary element, or requires that the pitcher be covered and shook in order to mix the ingredients of the consumable beverage back into a uniform solution. If proper care is not taken during the stirring or mixing, the liquid can easily be spilled, thereby creating undesireable cleanup problems. Often a stirring implement may not be readily availiable, as for example if the pitcher is used in an outdoor environment, again creating difficulty in uniformly mixing the liquid.
The present invention eliminates the need for auxillary stirring elements and mixing practices which tend to be messy and inconvenient to perform. The self-stirring pitcher includes an integral stirring device which allows a user to remix the consumable liquid with one hand without removing the top of the container. In a preferred embodiment, the mixing device is a hand actuated pump formed as a part of the handle of the pitcher. The handle is hollow and includes an opening near the bottom of the pitcher, and also a second opening near the top. A pump is attached to the handle between the top and bottom opening at a point where a user would grip the pitcher in order to pour it. The pump housing is liquid tight and communicates with the interior of the hollow handle. In use the pump is actuated to create a siphon effect and pump the consumable liquid from the bottom of the pitcher up through the handle and back into the top of the pitcher. Suitable one-way valves are provided in order to provide a one-way liquid flow path from the bottom of the pitcher to the top. For most consumable liquids stored in the pitcher, such as fruit juices and the like, a relatively small number of pump strokes will completely mix any settled material back into liquid suspension.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a liquid storing pitcher having a self-stirring feature which is self contained, and eliminates the need for auxilliary stirring equipment; the provision of a self-stirring pitcher which eliminates spillage and the accompanying cleanup procedures which occur during normal mixing techniques.